


The Rink

by orphan_account



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22026199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hades takes Hebe for an outing in the Underworld, and Persephone unexpectedly tags along.
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	The Rink

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rurounigochanKehau](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=rurounigochanKehau).



> This was written for the Lore Olympus gift exchange, as a special present for the fabulous rurounigochan Kehau! Her gift to me was a glorious portrait of Hera that I will likely stare at for the rest of my life. I hope you love the short fic!

Hades looked down and smiled as Hebe clung to his hand, skipping down the hall of Tower 1 as if being in the Underworld was the most natural thing in the world. He couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of happiness as he felt her youthful energy radiating around them, a pure joy that could rarely be felt in his kingdom. She looked up at him, her bright eyes shining with excitement as she tugged him along, urging him to walk to the elevator faster so that they could go on their outing. 

“Come on, Uncle Hades, I want to go ice skating!”

He chuckled at her enthusiasm, unable to remember a time when the snow and ice was so exciting for him. It was common for Olympians to make trips to the Underworld in order to enjoy the cold, using his realm as a sort of impromptu vacation spot when they needed a change from the perpetual warmth above. Hades had noticed that the ice skating rink was particularly popular, especially on the warmer days, so he hadn’t been surprised when Hera called to inform him that Hebe was demanding a vacation day in the Underworld. 

The elevator light flickered to show the number 99 on the floor counter just as they approached, conveniently opening as Hebe needlessly clicked the button. Hades looked up to see Persephone stepping gingerly out of the elevator, looking down at a pile of scrolls in her hands and her lips moving slightly as she muttered to herself under her breath. Hades couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his face as he gazed at her, enchanted by the way she furrowed her brows as she stared at her work rather than paying attention to her surroundings. 

Just as Hades began to wonder how she was able to walk as she read without tripping over her own two feet, Persephone’s high heel caught on the carpet beneath her and she tumbled forward. A small cry filled the hall as she lost her balance and Hades rushed forward, catching her in his arms as scrolls scattered around them. Persephone landed in a heap against his chest, his arms clutching at her waist in an attempt to help her find her balance and regain her footing. She leaned on him for a moment, entranced by how strong and sturdy felt. She couldn’t help but feel like he could hold her up no matter how hard she stumbled and fell, whether it be physically or emotionally. Her breath hitched in her throat as he gave her a gentle squeeze before setting her on her feet, she closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lower lip before slowly looking up at him. 

“I-I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” 

He looked down at her with a gentle smile, his pale blue eyes meeting her bright fuchsia gaze as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. A crown of forget-me-nots sprung to life around the top of her head, as she struggled to break the spell he had cast over her. “Don’t apologize,” he said softly as his touch lingered in her hair, “who could fault you for being so committed to your work?”

Persephone stared at him, at a loss for words as she struggled to remind herself that they had agreed on distance, that it was moments like  _ this _ that were completely inappropriate and would get them both into trouble.  _ ‘Say something, Persephone!’ _ she shouted at herself internally,  _ ‘he’s in a committed relationship, there isn’t a point even if you weren’t joining the maidenhood…’ _

A sharp gasp from the elevator doors snapped them both out of the trance that they had been caught in and they both looked to Hebe. She stood, her eyes wide with a hopeful smile widening her cheeks, her hands clasped adorably under her chin. “Could Persephone come ice skating with us, Uncle Hades?  _ Please _ !”

Hades furrowed his brow slightly, Persephone’s request for boundaries ringing in his mind. “I’m not sure that would be appropriate Sparrow,” he said as he tried to avoid the little goddess’ pleading gaze, “Persephone is working today.” 

“Oh!” Persephone’s eyes lit up and her hand quickly raised to rest over her mouth in an attempt to hide her excitement, “You’re going ice skating? I’ve never been!”

Hebe was on him in an instant, clinging to his leg with little golden arms that made it nearly impossible for Hades to do anything but immediately bend to her whim. “See?” She cried excitedly, “She should come with us! Everyone needs to go ice skating at least once in their lives!”

Hades pressed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling to deny Hebe’s borderline begging and Persephone’s overly enthusiastic reaction to their plans. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he looked down at Hebe with a small smile, “And I’m sure Persephone isn’t interested in tagging along with us today.” His chest tightened as he hoped that Persephone got the hint, while a small part of him wanted her to come along more than he could ever hope to express. 

Persephone laid her hand on his arm as her eyes sparkled with hope, “I’d love to come with you guys,” she hesitated for a moment, her eyes flitting to the floor as her voice softened. “If you’ll have me, I mean.”

“Of course you can come!” Hebe’s exclamation of excitement stripped Hades of any opportunity to deny Persephone’s request and he silently prepared himself for the excursion ahead of him. While he was thrilled that he would be getting to spend time with Persephone, he couldn’t help the bubble of anxiety rising within him as he silently pondered how she would expect him to behave now that they had agreed to certain  _ boundaries _ between the two of them - especially with Hebe’s involvement. She was adorable, of course, and his favorite niece, but Hades couldn’t deny that she was incredibly mischievous. She was too much like her mother, and he knew that there was a significant amount of potential for her to cause trouble if she were to see even the slightest hint of affection between him and Persephone. 

He sighed and looked back at Persephone, his gaze was instantly drawn to her mouth as she anxiously chewed on her bottom lip while she waited for an answer. “Alright, Miss Kore. I suppose taking the rest of the day couldn’t hurt anything.” He grinned as a dazzling smile broke across her face and she gave a little bounce of excitement, her magenta hair bounced around her face as it grew with her excitement. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop himself from staring, utterly entranced with her innocent beauty. 

Hades walked behind the two of them as Persephone went to the records office to drop off the scrolls she had been delivering, Hebe bouncing alongside her as she chatted, carrying a few of the scrolls in an effort to help. He shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to look relaxed despite the nervous anticipation roiling within him. He wasn’t sure how he would spend a day with her without showing her how much he enjoyed her company, without showering her with simple gestures of affection in an effort to make her feel special, loved, treasured. 

Persephone quickly organized the scrolls into their proper places and turned back to Hebe and Hades, her smile brightening the entire room. “Are we ready to go then?” 

“Yes! Uncle Hades is going to drive, you’ll ride with us, won’t you?” Hebe looked from Persephone to Hades as the two of them shared a long look, a private exchange passing between the two of them through smiles and shy gazes. 

Hades spoke first, knowing that Persephone wouldn’t accept the invitation from Hebe alone, “I insist you ride with us, it would be silly to take public transit when we’re all going to the same place.”

Persephone nodded at him, a slight blush creeping over her cheeks as she remembered the first morning she had spent with him, thinking back on their innocent flirtation on the way back to Olympus - before everything had gotten so complicated. She forced her thoughts back to reality, reminding herself sternly about the boundaries that  _ she _ had insisted on. She held a hand out to Hebe and gave her a warm smile. “Shall we go then?”

Hebe glanced up at Hades for a brief moment, registering the dazed look on his face before accepting Persephone’s hand and nodding enthusiastically, “Yes, before it gets too late and it gets crowded! I hate when the ice is covered in beings and I can hardly move.” She scrunched her nose at the thought and Persephone gave a short giggle. “I’m serious,” Hebe responded with a tone that sounded far older than her eight years, “it’s no fun trying to ice skate when you can’t simply move freely on the ice.”

Persephone forced her face into a serious expression as they walked to the elevators, nodded her head with Hebe’s assessment of the importance of getting to the ice rink early, listening to her talk about how the ability to move freely is the key to feeling as if she were flying - as she wouldn’t develop that power for at least another dozen years or so. 

Hades followed them silently, watching Persephone interact with Hebe with a graceful ease that he rarely saw; Hebe was such a mature child that most adults were never quite sure how to respond to her but Persephone didn’t hesitate to launch into serious discussion with Hebe, taking the time to actually listen to his little sparrow and respond to her as if she were talking to another grown Goddess. Their conversation flowed easily, uninterrupted by the drive to the ice rink, as if Hades wasn’t even there. The two of them were completely wrapped up in one another, enthralled by their conversation about the benefits of the Underworld in comparison to the eternal warmth, Persephone’s open preference for the Underworld catching him by surprise. Hades’ brows raised as he listened to her talk about how much she loved the lack of sun in his realm, how much she enjoyed the chill of the cool air on her skin, how  _ at home _ she felt when it snowed. Hades was stunned, he had never heard anyone express such love for the Underworld - especially not someone who had grown up in the warmth and comfort of the mortal realm. A small part of him glimmered with hope, even if she were to become an eternal maiden, perhaps he could at least always have her close by? 

Hebe let out a delighted gasp as he pulled into the parking lot for the skating rink, pressing her face and hands against the window in an effort to get even a few inches closer to the ice in her excitement. Hades parked his car, carefully pulling into the spot to ensure that he was straight between the parking lines and not too close to the cars on either side, but Persephone and Hebe were so excited that they were jumping out of the car before he was even able to shift it into park. He had to lengthen his stride considerably, almost breaking into a light jog in order to catch up to them as they skipped to the entrance. Hebe had no qualms about showing her excitement as she gripped the counter with both hands and used it to bounce even higher, attempting to peer over the ledge at the nymph working the register. 

Hades approached behind them with a lopsided grin, silently apologizing for the unusual amount of enthusiasm rolling off of Persephone and Hebe as they practically vibrated with excitement. The nymph looked at him with a cocked brow but waved them through, choosing not to allow herself to get sucked into another child’s excitement. Hades made a mental note to ensure the nymphs working the rink put on a cheerier face when they were at the front counter, even in the Underworld there needed to be some happy places. 

Having been skating in the Underworld many times, Hebe didn’t need direction on what to do next and she took Persephone by the hand to drag her to the counter to check out skates in their sizes and then to the benches to change out of their shoes. Hades hung back, observing their carefree fun from behind as he slowly put on his skates and followed them onto the ice.

Hebe immediately took off, her balance and grace giving her instant reign over her skates as she disappeared into the crowd of beings gliding in circles. Hades couldn’t help but grin as he looked to Persephone, clinging to the side wall as she struggled to remain upright. She teetered forward and back, her feet threatening to fly out from underneath her at any moment. She looked up at him with a shaky smile, unsure of how to keep herself upright on the cool ice as he glided towards her. 

He held out a hand to her, a comforting - if not amused - smile playing on his face. He held out his hands to her, confident in his ability to balance the little pink Goddess on the ice, “Do you need some help?” 

She gave him a grateful - albeit nervous - smile as she reached her hands out to him. Her soft pink hands fit easily into his, Hades’ grip covering her hands with a warmth that was a stark contrast to the icy air that had chilled her fingers. Her cheeks flushed a little deeper at the tingling warmth that was quickly spreading through her fingers as he held her hands in his and pulled her gently away from the wall. She leaned forward and back, trying to find her center of balance as she glided towards him. She couldn’t stop herself from marveling at the way he moved on the ice. He was the picture of lithe grace as he lent her the support she needed to make her way to the center of the ice. 

“I’ve got you, little goddess,” even his voice was sturdy and soothing, the low baritones gliding across the ice as smoothly as he did. His thumbs gently traced the tops of her hands as he gave her a gentle smile and another tug towards him, he moved his hands quickly to grip Persephone by the elbows as he pulled her closer to him. She let out a small yelp of surprise before bursting into giggles as she realized that he was moving backwards, pulling her easily across the ice with him. Persephone glanced down and couldn’t help but notice the sinewed muscles of his thighs through his slacks, the way his legs tensed and relaxed as he moved them easily over the frozen surface. She could feel the muscles in his forearms tighten beneath her fingers as she gripped his arms and her breath caught in her chest as a wave of butterflies surged through her. 

Persephone forced herself to meet his gaze, swallowing hard as she met his striking blue eyes. She could see the little wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes as he smiled at her, genuine happiness creeping into his expression as he watched her. “Hades, I -” Persephone yelped as she suddenly lost her balance, her feeting seeming to move on their own as she desperately tried to gain purchase on the ice beneath her. She pulled Hades’ closer to her as she tried to use him as an anchor, trying to avoid the inevitable crash to the freezing surface below her. It seemed to work, Hades tightened his grip on her elbows while pulling her closer to him, pressing her against his chest for a moment as he held her steady against him. Persephone tried to catch her breath, panting heavily as she willed herself to ignore the musky scent that wafted from him. She closed her eyes as she tried to pinpoint the scent - leather and…a very faint hint of some kind of liquor that she couldn’t quite place. 

But before Persephone could relax, before she could pull away from him and forget the enthralling scent of his azure skin, she felt her body twist of its own volition and they were both sent tumbling to the ice. Hades pulled her quickly towards him as they fell, landing on his back with her body pulled on top of him. Her hands rested on his chest, his hands clutching the tops of her arms, their bodies melded together as the skaters around them continued to glide in circles around the edge of the rink. Neither breathed as they stared into each others’ eyes, their noses almost touching as they each tried to decide what to do next. Hades’ eyes flicked to her lips, watching as the tip of her tongue gently ran along her lower lip. He raised his head up slightly, slowly inching closer as he found himself drawn to her lips. Persephone froze, anxiously waiting for his lips to touch hers, nerves and insecurity keeping her from closing the distance between them herself as she silently hoped he would initiate the kiss. 

“Would you two just kiss already!” Hebe shrieked across the ice, her voice heavy with glee as she skated towards them. Hades’ gaze snapped to Hebe as she stopped in front of them, hands on her hips as she smirked down at them.

The amazing portrait I was gifted, because the entire world needs to see this! 

**Author's Note:**

> ***A note about the nickname for Hebe;
> 
> In traditional Greek mythology, one of Hebe's symbols is the eagle. Obviously, as an eight year old, Hebe is not an eagle yet. Hence Hades' pet name for her, 'Sparrow.'


End file.
